The Role of Lung Microbiome in Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease—A Systematic Review

Abstract

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) involves lung disorders marked by chronic inflammation and fibrosis. ILDs include pathologies like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) or sarcoidosis. Existing data covers pathogenesis, diagnosis (especially using high-resolution computed tomography), and treatments like antifibrotic agents. Despite progress, ILD diagnosis and management remains challenging with significant morbidity and mortality. Recent focus is on Progressive Fibrosing ILD (PF-ILD), characterized by worsening symptoms and fibrosis on HRCT. Prevalence is around 30%, excluding IPF, with a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis is crucial for optimizing outcomes in PF-ILD individuals. The lung microbiome comprises all the microorganisms that are in the respiratory tract. Relatively recent research try to evaluate its role in respiratory disease. Healthy lungs have a diverse microbial community. An imbalance in bacterial composition, changes in bacterial metabolic activities, or changes in bacterial distribution within the lung termed dysbiosis is linked to conditions like COPD, asthma and ILDs. We conducted a systematic review of three important scientific data base using a focused search strategy to see how the lung microbiome is involved in the progression of ILDs. Results showed that some differences in the composition and quality of the lung microbiome exist in ILDs that show progressive fibrosing phenotype. The results seem to suggest that the lung microbiota could be involved in ILD progression, but more studies showing its exact pathophysiological mechanisms are needed.